Selective electric switch apparatus



April 3, 1945.

M. H. SHOENBERG SELECTIVE ELECTRIC SWITCH APPARATUS ATTORNEY.

2 Sheets-Sheet 1 MILTON hf SHOENBERG Original Filed Sept. 16, 1938 April 3, 1945. M. H. .SHOENBERG 2,372,933

SELECTIVE ELECTRIC SWITCH APPARATUS Original Filed Sept. 16, 1938 2 Sheets-Shegt 2 Patented Apr. 3, 1945 SELECTIVE ELECTRIC SWITCH APPARATUS Milton H. Shoenberg, deceased, late of San Francisco, Calif., by Norine Shoenberg. administratrix, San Francisco, Calif.; said Milton H. Shoenberg, assignor to Julian H. Kay, San

Francisco, Calif.

Original application September 16, 1938, Serial No. 230,303. Divided and this application October 6, 1941, Serial No. 413,882

Claims.

This application is a division of said Milton H. Shoenbergs copending application filed September 16, 1938, under SerialNo. 230,303, bearing the same title, now Patent No. 2,262,471.

This invention relates principally to selective electric call systems adapted to signal any one of the plurality of stations on the line without signalling the other stations, and the invention has for its principal objects improvements in the apparatus used in such systems whereby the mechanism is rendered simple and reliable; also selective switch apparatus which will operate in any position without regard to gravity, may be set for any desired code by use of an interchangeable matrix; and also which will respond to regular code signal impulses made and timed manually through ordinary call bell operation, or an automatic transmitter.

Other features and advantages of the invention appear in the following description and accompanying drawings, and are specifically set out in the appended claims,

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a diagrammatic plan of the apparatus and electrical connections showing all of the principal elements of the invention.

Figure 2 is a cross section of a portion of Figure l as seen from the line 2-2 thereof.

Figure 8 is a side view of the matrix or interchangeable cocle plate, as seen from the line 33 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary cross section of Figure 1, as seen from the line 4-4 thereof.

Figure 5 is a detailed and enlarged plan viewof one of the timers to determine the time interval between some of the contacts and movements of the mechanism.

Figure 6 is a perspective sketch showing the cord wound clock drum arrangement.

Briefly described the apparatus may be said to be an arrangement of selector switch elements preferably including a local operating circuit, and adapted to be hooked up through means of a relay to the call bell circuit of any of a plurality of stations on the line, one of the apparatuses being connected at each station in place of its call bell, so that its receiving relay will be operated by the incoming electrical impulses set up by any of the other stations sending in a call as by turning the bell ringing crank for the desired number of short and long calls for the particular station wanted, or by otherwise manually closing and opening a call switch, or pressing a button switch successively for the long and short bells constituting the call of the particular station desired.

The various short and long calls operate suitable magnets to consecutively move a plurality of pivoted stops or fingers to a predetermined position, and at which a movable matrix or code plate arranged to'fit over the stops or fingers (when in such predetermined position only) moves and causes the signal circuit to be actuated for operating the signal, and which may be either a bell or a lamp, or other device which it is desired to operate. After a predetermined time of operating the signal, or predetermined time interval in case the signal does not operate (as when a wrong code has been sent) an automatically timed release returns all elements to their starting points.

In the drawings, l and 2 represent the common line wires which extend to any number of stations. The elements enclosed within the dot and dash lines 3 constitute the selective switch elements and its local circuit.

At each station is a receiving or line relay A which, upon being energized by a current impulse from the line wires, will close the local circuit at 4 as long as the impulse continues, and if the impulses received are those set up by the manual operation of an ordinary telephone bell magneto, a shaded magnet is used in the relay to stay closed with the slow alternating current, generally about 25 cycles per second frequency.

The local circuit includes a battery 13 or other source of switch operating current, for simplicity here shown as grounded to the frame of the apparatus or common ground wire at one side, as likewise are the elements operated thereby, all as conventionally indicated.

Before describing the construction of the improved selective switch assembly, its principal elements will be named and each given a letter designation.

C is the main operating magnet energized by the incoming call signals either directly or by way of the line relay A.

D is a set of pivotally mounted superimposed fingers or stops, the ends of which cooperate with the matrix or code plate when the fingers are moved to various positions.

E is the matrix or perforated code plate,

F is a push rod which is operated by movement of armature 5 of magnet C to consecutively push the fingers to various positions depending on the length of time magnet C is energized.

G is a series of superimposed pivoted ratchet bars respectively arranged for locking one of the fingers D in whatever position it may be moved to by the push rod.

H is a magnet which draws the code plate towards the ends of the fingers after a predetermined time following the last signal impulse.

I is any signal device, here indicated as a bell.

J, K are two clockwork mechanisms for controlling the time intervals between certain electrical contacts.

L indicates a plurality of coacting electric contact elements which successively come into action after the last signal impulse.

M and N are magnets which determine the length of the push rod stroke on any finger or fingers corresponding to the length of the signal impulse.

P is the resetting magnet which trips all of the ratchet bars G so that the fingers will return to starting position, and also lifts the push rod to its starting position resting upon the upper finger.

R indicates an anchor or frame portion to which a lever or rod is pivotall mounted.

S indicates fixed stops to limit motion of the various levers.

:6 is the pivoted armature of the resetting magnet P.

7 is a pivoted lever on which the code plate E is removabl-y secured as by sliding into grooves "oroetainers 3 at its ends and/or side.

9 is a sliding rod pivotally connected at 49 to the armature of the resetting magnet.

11 is an arm pivoted at 12 to a fixed point R and pivoted slottedly at 13 to rod 9, and formed with a hooked outer end 1 extending under the push rod so as to lift the same over the topmost finger of the stack of fingers LD when rod 9 is moved toward the push rod upon energizing of the resetting magnet. Rod 9 is slidably supported as in brackets Hi, it (see Figure 4.) and .is provided with an upstanding lug i?! which engages all of the ratchet bars G to move them against the 'force of their individual return springs 42 enough to free the engaged ends of the fingers D so that they can all return to starting position by their individual springs 1'8 as soon as the push rod is lifted.

The timing clock mechanisms J and K each comprise the features shown in Figure 5, a cylindrical drum is pivoted on its axis 3! "to a suitable frame (indicated generally as K) and provided at one end with a large spur gear 26 meshing with a pinion 2i fast on a shaft 22 which also carries an escapement wheel 23 engaged by an escapem-ent 2 mounted on a shaft 25 and the slotted arm 26 of which-escapement is engaged by a pin 2'! on a balance wheel 28 mounted on shaft grip the drum and revolve the clock mechanism under control of the balance Wheel escapement, and under a given pull exerted upon it (superior to the pull of tension spring 33) will only yield in the direction of the arrow at a definite rate of speed, yet if the cord 32 were suddenly released by the pulling agent, spring 33 would'ins'tantly twirl the thereby loosened cord loops about the drum (without materially reversing the clock) 75 until the energy of spring 33 was spent or was balanced by resistance applied at the other end of the cord.

This timer is thus instantly started by a pull on the cord and as quickly stopped by relaxing the cord, and is applied to control the time interval between electric contacts by linking the cords of both clockwork through yielding connection to the movable armature 5 of magnet C as will now be described.

Armature 5 is pivoted at 35 to a fixed point R and is normally retracted by a coiled tension spring 36 connected to a lever 31 pivoted at 38 to a fixed point and which lever is also loosely pivoted'at 39 to the push rod F so as to move the push rod to the left each time magnet C is energized, lever 37 being returned to starting point "(against stop S when spring 36 is relaxed) by a weaker tension spring H.

Armature 5 is also pivotally and insulatingly I linked as by a wire link '43 with another lever 4 pivoted at 35 to a fixed point, but whioh' latter 'lihk it has iriterpo'sed in its length a spl-r ail tension spring it of somewhat greater '-strength than spring 33 of the clockwork.

Clockwork J On the opposite side of armature 5 is similarly connected to armature 5 through the intermediary of a lever 1 corresponding to 449 pivoted at '58 to 'a fixed point :and to which the cord 32 of clock J connects, and which lever 41 is pivotally linked to armature 5 as 'by a wire link 49 interposed in which is a spiral tension spring to corresponding to spring '46 in strength so as to overcome the cord pull back sprihg'33 of clockwork J whilehaving sufficient force .in

excess to do the work required.

Lever 4? is alsopivotally and insulatingly linked as at 5| with a spring return contact arm 52 of the group of contact elements for operation as will later be described. Y

The wiring from the battery B to the various grounded magnets and movable contacts is generally designated W and since it is easily traced in the drawings the various leads need not be specifically described to unnecessarily 'prolong the description.

The superimposed fingers D are spaced apart as by washers or hubs 53 surrounding their common fixed pivot i l, the lower ends are each beveled as at 55 to fit any of the several notches 5b of the ratchet bars G which are also spaced-to match and pivoted to a fixed axis 51. The outer ends of the fingers or stops D are reduced in size as indicated at 58 so as to readily pass through openings or slots provided in the matrix or code plate E when in certain positions. The openings and slots are indicated best in Figure 3 at 59, 6B, 6-! and '62.

Code plate lever l which is pivoted at one end at 40 carries an armature '63 adjacent the opposite end adapted to be attracted by magnet H "and is normally retracted by a pull back spring 64st: that the code plate will clear the ends of the fingers D and also to hold open bell circuit operating contacts 65 at the extreme end oi the lever.

All of the superimposed fingers normally are positioned at the right hand position against the stop S, and any of them may occupy any 'of the four positions indicated when moved from the first position by push rod F and held in the new position by the ratchet bars G.

Push rod F'moves longitudinally back and forth between guides 6'! upon lever 31 being rocked, and is formed with an offset 56 at its outer end adapted to overlie the uppermost of the fingers and drop to the next finger below upon each retraction of the rod, a small spring 68 being provided to insure this action so as to make it inde pendent of gravity, even if the whole switch assembly be mounted upside down.

To limit the forward (left hand) movement of the push rod to definite strokes, so as to selectively move the fingers from the full line starting position to any'of the three other positions D D D where they will be held by the ratchet bars G, fixed and movable stops are provided as follows: In starting position all fingers are to the right in full line position against fixed stop S, and push rod F is retracted and its operating lever 31 is to the right in full line position against stop S. When magnet C is energized and armature 5 is drawn to it, linking spring 36 at once pulls lever 31 to the left until. its extreme end strikes a stop at B9 on pivoted armature arm 10 of magnet M and which arm is normally.

pulled down by a spring H, and this allows the push rod to move a finger from the starting position to the second position D When magnet M is energized and its arma ture is lifted, lever 3! moves further to the left under the force of spring 36 until it is again arrested by a stop 12 formed at the end of pivoted armature arm I3 of magnet N, thus allowing push rod to move the finger to the next position D When magnet N is energized its armature arm l3'is drawn toward it against the force of its releasing spring 14, and thereby permits the push rod to move the finger to the third position D against a common stop S for all of the fingers and/or a final limit stop S for lever 31.

If, now with both magnets M and N holding their armatures out of the way of lever 31, magnet C were die-energized, spring 4| would pull lever 31 and the push rod back to starting position, but the fingers would still be held by the ratchet bars G in the various positions to which they had been moved, and also the push rod would have dropped to the lowest finger not yet pushed from starting position or to the plane of the lowest one if that also had been moved.

To release the ratchet bars so that the fingers can return to starting position under the action of their individual springs l8 and also to raise the push rod to the top finger again, the resetting magnet P is energized to draw its pivoted armature arm 6 upward to release ratchet bars G from the fingers, so that they at once return to starting position.

The matrix or code plate E may be of sheet metal or composition material and its openings 59 to 62 are in line with the four positions which the ends of the fingers may assume, the hole or slot 59 being of a length to receive all of the fingers not moved from starting position and the other openings being respectively of a length (across the plate) to only receive one or more fingers at their positions as the particular code for that station may require, thus the black clashes in the openings of the code plate of Fig. 3 indicate the ends of the fingers as properly moved for that plate, and show its code to be:

One long, two short, and two extra long, and with one finger still being in starting position aligned in hole 59.

It will be evident from a study of Figure 3 that with any other position of the fingers, the code plate would not fit over their ends and armature lever I could not be drawn toward magnet A description of operation of the various electric contacts to energize the various magnets in proper sequence will now be madev Upon a short energizing impulse sent through magnet C as by a momentary pressure of a remote signal button and release, or short twist of the magneto crank, lever 3"! is instantly pulled to the left to stop 69 and the upper finger is moved to position D but as the current is broken againin a moment the lever 3i and push rod return to starting position, but the push rod has fallen to the next finger.

Assume that the next impulse is a long one i. e. held closed for a few seconds (say two or three as may be predetermined by the initial setting of the apparatus), in such case lever 37 will first stop at 69 but as spring 46 is under tension clockwork K is set in motion to gradually unwind or pay out cord 32 to permit lever 44 to slowly move to the left and close a contact at 5 which at once energizes magnet M. to lift, stop 69 and permit lever 31 to move to stop 12 to bring the finger to position D If the long signal contact made is extra long, say five seconds or more (as may be predetermined), then contact 15 would also be closed by the moving lever 45 through the yielding of spring arm 99- to energize magnet N, and permit the push rod to move the finger to position D Assuming now that one extra long bell were the correct code for this station, there would only be a hole in the code plate over the end. of this finger at position D while the unmoved fingers would still be opposite a hole or slot to accommodate them only formed in the plate. Now, upon release of the long signal, all the parts just considered including the clockwork controlled cord 32 return instantly to starting position, but as spring 35 is considerably superior to spring 50, it stretches the latter and yielding'ly pulls on lever 4! which at once starts clockwork J to slowly pay out cord 32' and thus similarly control the speed of movement of lever 47.

Lever 41 being insulatingly linked at 5! to spring contact arm 52 will first close contacts I! and thereby, through already closed contacts 18, will energize code plate magnet H to pull the plate down over the finger at D and at the same time close'contact and ring the hell I.

Continued movement of lever 41, however, will break the code plate magnet circuit at contacts 18 by contacts Tl moving a dummy spring arm 19 to right, and through it will make contact at 81! to energize the resetting magnet P to trip all of the fingers and push rod back to starting position as previously explained.

The energizing of the resetting magnet is only momentary, however, as lever 4i still has a small way to go before it meets stop S and hence it continues to move spring dummy arm 19 as well as spring arm 86 to the right until. it breaks the resetting magnet circuit at and which is the final position of rest of the parts, until a new signal comes in.

It should be noted that contact carrying arm 83 is not a spring arm or strip as are the others, but is fixed, though its contact point as well as any of the other contact points are either adjustable on their arms, or the arms may be individually bent more or less to yield the desired this kind.

When the next signal comes in and armature 5 snaps to magnet C, spring 50 is completely slacked off, or sufilciently so for clockwork spring 33' to instantly return the cord around the drum and pull lever 37 to the left until it meets a stop S, and all of the contacts at L will be open except 82 and 18, which will be closed, and this is the position they are shown in the drawings as it is presumed that armature 5 has just this instant been released and lever ll is just .starting to move. Under such conditions at least one of the fingers would be displaced from starting position as this would be before the tripping magnet P was energized, and it makes the action of the contacts easier understood to show it this way.-

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed in the present divisionalapplication is:

1. In an electric switch apparatus, a normally stopped clockwork including a governor and a cord wrapped drum, a first electric contact operated electro-magnetic means arranged for pulling said cord to start said clockwork, means controlled by said clockwork while running for making a plurality of successive contacts under timed relation to the first contact, and spring means arranged for automatically rewinding said cord to starting position on said drum at once upon the breaking of said first contact.

2 In an electric switch apparatus, a normally stopped clockwork including a governor and a cord wrapped drum, electric contact operated electro-magnetic means arranged for yieldingly tensioning said cord to start said clockwork, means controlled by said clockwork while running for making a plurality of successive contact-s under timed relation to the first contact, and spring means arranged for automatically rewinding said cord to starting position at once on release of the cord tensioning means.

3. In an electric switch apparatus, comprising a normally stopped clockwork including a governor and a cord wrapped drum, electric contact operated electro-magnetic means arranged for yieldingly tensioning said cord to start said clockwork, means controlled by said clockwork while running .for making a plurality of successive contacts under timed relation to the first contact, and spring means arranged for automatically rewinding said cord to starting position at once on release of the cord tensioning means, and manually controlled means arranged for overcoming the force of the cord tensloning means for releasing said cord.

4. In a selector switch of the character, described, a signal impulse receiving electro-magnet provided with a movably mounted armature and spring means for automatically retracting \the armature, a plurality of movable mounted switch operating elements resiliently linked to said armature for movement thereby upon movement of the armature, and means controlling and timing the speed of movement of some of said elements comprising two spring actuated governor controlled clocks operatively linked together in opposition and to the movable armature in a manner so that upon a one way movement of the armature the actuating spring of one clock will be tensioned and the clock stanted and the actuating spring of the other released and the clock stopped and vice versa, and means linking the clocks respectively with some of said mo-vably mounted switch elements to be timed.

5. In a selector switch of the character described, a signal impulse receiving electro-magnet provided with a movably mounted armature and spring means for automatically retracting the armature, a plurality of movably mounted switch operating elements resiliently linked to said armature for movement thereby upon movement of the armature, and means controlling and timing the speed of movement of some of said elements comprising two spring actuated governor controlled clocks each provided with a cord-wrapped operating drum operatively linked together in opposition and to the movable armature in a manner so that upon a one way movement of the armature the cord of one clock will be tensioned and the clock started and the cord of the other released and the clock stopped and vice versa,

and means linking the clocks respectively with some of said movably mounted switch elements to be timed.

NORINE SHOENBERG. Ad inistratrizc of Estate of Milton H. Shoenberg,

Deceased. 

